Responsible Operation

Are you fracking?

No, is the simple answer. Fracking, or high-volume hydraulic fracturing, is the process of removing gas from shale rocks and has been banned in the UK since 2019. It is termed ‘unconventional’ because it differs from traditional methods. Traditionally in the UK, onshore production to date is from conventional reservoirs where the gas is more readily available and easier to produce.

We will not be carrying out high-volume fracking in Burniston at any time in this application or in any future applications.

However, low-volume hydraulic fracturing operations, which have been used for many decades in the UK, were not included in the 2019 moratorium. They were deliberately excluded because these operations are well-established and proven to be safe, both from a health and safety and an environmental perspective.

The proposed drilling activities at Burniston include a conventional low-volume hydraulic fracturing operation, which is called a proppant squeeze. The proppant squeeze is a standard industry technique which is safe and non-polluting. It has been safely used for decades in the UK, including recently on sites at Crosby Warren in Scunthorpe and Wressle at Broughton in North Lincolnshire.

Proppant squeeze - an entirely different proposition to fracking

A proppant squeeze is a localised operation which is used to help increase the gas flow from the rock formations. The proppant squeeze takes place once the well has been drilled and the casing is in place. This casing ensures that nothing brought up from the wellbore can leak into surrounding formations or the water aquifer.

The area of this operation will be more than 2,000m below ground level and over 1.7km to the south west of Burniston. At a depth of over 2,000m each proppant squeeze will radiate between 100m to 200m from the wellbore and extend no more than 40-80m in height. The operation is localised and thousands of metres below the level where both conventional mining and aquifer water production activities occur. It’s important to note that the water aquifer is around 30m below the surface and is protected by eight concentric layers of cement and steel.

A slurry of sand and gelled water is pumped under pressure to create channels of communication in the near wellbore, and the sand then acts as the proppant to support the induced channels which increases the rate that the gas will flow.

This is a small-scale standard oilfield operation which historically has taken place elsewhere in Lincolnshire (e.g. the nearby Crosby Warren well). It should not be confused with high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) that has been proposed in other areas for shale gas or oil.

A proppant squeeze operation itself will last no more than 30-40 minutes although setting up equipment for the operation and systems testing will normally take a week.

Proppant Squeeze

  • Successfully deployed for decades in the UK (including at nearby sites)
  • Low-volume operation
  • Proven method with minimal impact
  • Does not require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent by the Environment Agency

Traditional Fracking

  • Banned in the UK since 2019
  • High-volume operation
  • High-impact method
  • Does require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent by the Environment Agency

Temporary disruption

The full project cycle includes a commitment to restore the site to its former condition after operations conclude, supporting existing agricultural practices.

Minimising the impact on the local community

We will implement a series of measures to ensure social and environmental disruption in the local community is temporary and kept to a minimum during operations.

Noise monitoring

We will undertake noise monitoring exercises during the drilling phase to ensure statutory noise thresholds are not breached.

Low-level lighting

During the drilling phases, operations will be 24-hour so low-level lighting will be required to ensure safety. The natural screening provided by trees and other land uses such as the feedstock mill and industrial units will mean the project is unlikely to be intrusive or impact local properties.

Visual impact

With the exception of the 5-week drilling phase, where the rig will be visible from some surrounding areas, the equipment on site will be no taller than the surrounding buildings, limiting the project’s visual impact.

Considered traffic management strategy across the full operation cycle

In order to minimise disruption to the local community, the Cloughton project will have a comprehensive traffic management system in place. This includes the use of an approved route to the site which all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) drivers must follow, maximum HGV numbers according to project phase, and limited movement hours as laid out below.

(154kb PDF)

Days of week,
Permitted movement hours

Mondays to Fridays
7am – 7pm

Saturdays
up to 1pm

Sundays, Bank and Public Holidays
No HGV movements

Route plan

The project site will be accessible via Coastal Road which already serves a number of existing industrial and storage units. Southern Route 2 is preferred.